quarterly resultshttp://www.maclife.com/taxonomy/term/3897/all
enOvernight Recap: Apple Job Nightmare, Sprint Q4, CruxENCORE iPad Air Casehttp://www.maclife.com/article/news/overnight_recap_apple_job_nightmare_sprint_q4_cruxencore_ipad_air_case
<!--paging_filter--><p><img src="/files/u220903/apple_id_jordan_620px.png" alt="Apple ID tag Jordan" width="620" height="300" /></p><p>The big rumor Wednesday is that both Apple and Samsung may be planning to go bezel-free with this year's flagship smartphones, with the Korean manufacturer likely first out of the gate now that they've inked a media event for later this month. The less bezel the better, we say -- as long as our iPhones aren't going to smash into a thousand pieces because they're less sturdy as a result. Speaking of broken dreams, let's dig into our first story of the day...</p><h3>Apple Designer Reveals How Dream Job Became a Nightmare</h3><p>Ever wonder what it would be like to work at Apple? As it turns out, it's not so different from anywhere else, especially when your immediate superior is kind of an a-hole to you. Designer Jordan Price found this out the hard way, and <a href="https://medium.com/apple-daily/f5f8c807d868" target="_blank">lived to tell about his experience on Medium this week</a>, ultimately packing up his stuff and heading home at lunchtime -- but not before leaving a message for his boss and calling him "the worst boss I had ever encountered in my entire professional career." To be fair to Cupertino, Price wasn't technically an Apple employee but rather a contracted designer -- but it still makes for fascinating insight for anyone with big dreams of working for the iPhone maker.</p><h3>Sprint No Longer Breaks Out iPhone Sales in Quarterly Report</h3><p>Third-place U.S. carrier <a href="http://newsroom.sprint.com/news-releases/sprint-reports-fourth-quarter-and-full-year-2013-results.htm" target="_blank">Sprint announced its fourth quarter 2013 results this week</a>, and strangely absent was any indication of how many iPhones were sold. Sadly, the carrier appears to have followed AT&amp;T and Verizon when it comes to breaking out individual smartphone sales, making the job of analysts a little harder than normal. Otherwise, Sprint's wireless service revenue grew year-over-year for the 15th consecutive quarter to $7.2 billion, with 682,000 customers signed up during the three months. The carrier closed 2013 by selling 20.5 million smartphones, with 5.6 million of those sold during the fourth quarter alone.</p><h3>CruxENCORE Converts iPad Air Into Full-Fledged Laptop</h3><p>If you've ever thought to yourself, "I wish I could turn my iPad Air into a laptop!" -- your dream may soon become reality. The <a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/spywire/cruxencoretm-ipad-air-laptop" target="_blank">CruxENCORE</a> is a new Kickstarter project from CruxCase, who hopes to raise $90,000 over the next month or so to manufacture the precision parts and components to convert an iPad Air tablet into a laptop, complete with 360º hinge made from airplane-grade anodized aluminum available in a variety of colors. CruxENCORE promises to deliver a MacBook-style typing experience and will include a 360mAh battery capable of going for more than a month between charges. Backers can pledge as little as $5 to have their name on the CruxENCORE packaging, while $35 or more gets you the keyboard case itself with free shipping.</p><h3>Cellular Nexus 7 Finally Arrives at Verizon This Week</h3><p><a href="http://www.verizonwireless.com/news/article/2014/02/google-nexus-7-tablet.html" target="_blank">Verizon Wireless is finally getting a Nexus 7 tablet to call its very own</a>, as a cellular-equipped 32GB black model swings into retail and online stores tomorrow, February 13 for $349.99. Looking to have your Nexus 7 shackled to Verizon for the next two years instead? No problem, the carrier will shave $100 off the up-front price, but take note: Those who already own a cellular-equipped 2013 model will be able to finally activate it on Verizon's network after downloading the latest software update. The Nexus 7 can be added to an existing Share Everything plan for only $10 per month, and Verizon will be offering several cases to accessorize your new seven-inch best friend.</p><h3>Barnes &amp; Noble Pares Down NOOK Hardware Staff</h3><p>After making plans to ditch its e-reader tablet business, Barnes &amp; Noble wound up doing an about face -- but <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/barnes-and-noble-hardware-engineering-staff-2014-2?op=1" target="_blank">according to Business Insider</a>, the company's next hardware may be engineered by fewer people. After first reporting that the retailer laid off the entire Nook hardware division on Monday, Barnes &amp; Noble later confirmed some jobs eliminated, but a spokesperson claims it wasn't a wholesale slaughter. "As we’ve aligned NOOK’s cost structure with business realities, staffing levels in certain areas of our organization have changed, leading to some job eliminations. We’re not going to comment specifically on those eliminations." Still, probably not great news for those waiting anxiously for the next Nook tablet...<br /><br /><em>Follow this article’s author, <a href="http://twitter.com/JRBTempe" target="_blank">J.R. Bookwalter on Twitter</a><br /><br />(Image courtesy of Medium and Jordan Price)</em></p><p>&nbsp;</p>http://www.maclife.com/article/news/overnight_recap_apple_job_nightmare_sprint_q4_cruxencore_ipad_air_case#commentsNewsApple Inc.CruxENCOREdesignersiPad AirNexus 7nookovernight recapquarterly resultsSprintVerizon WirelessiPadiPhoneiPodMacWed, 12 Feb 2014 13:22:36 +0000J.R. Bookwalter19303 at http://www.maclife.comApple May Have An iPad Problem in Chinahttp://www.maclife.com/article/news/apple_may_have_ipad_problem_china
<!--paging_filter--><p><img src="/files/u220903/ipad_customer_in_china_620px.png" alt="Chinese iPad buyer" width="620" height="300" /></p><p>Could the onslaught of Android-based tablets finally be catching up to the iPad? While Apple's tablet continues to rule the roost, new data reveals that Chinese buyers may be looking elsewhere.<br /><br /><a href="http://bgr.com/2013/08/22/ipad-market-share-q2-2013-china/" target="_blank">BGR reported Thursday</a> that the iPad appears to increasingly be having a hard time finding an audience in China, where buyers appear to be turning to cheaper Android tablets.<br /><br />According to IDC data released Wednesday, Apple's share of the Chinese tablet market dropped 40 percent year-over-year during the second quarter of this year, with <a href="http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/2e3c90fa-0a39-11e3-aeab-00144feabdc0.html#axzz2cbQ9JcCp" target="_blank">The Financial Times reporting</a> that only 1.48 million iPads were sold in the country during those three months.<br /><br />While that's enough for Apple to claim 28 percent of the tablet market in China, last year during the same period the iPad held a commanding 68.2 percent.<br /><br />Apple's own quarterly figures for the June period revealed a 14 percent year-over-year drop overall, but those numbers mask what appears to be going on in China, which CEO Tim Cook has repeatedly referred to as a strategic area of growth for the company.<br /><br /><em>Follow this article’s author, <a href="http://twitter.com/JRBTempe" target="_blank">J.R. Bookwalter on Twitter</a></em></p><p>&nbsp;</p>http://www.maclife.com/article/news/apple_may_have_ipad_problem_china#commentsNewsandroidApple Inc.ChinaChineseIDCquarterly resultsresearchtablet markettablet marketshareTim Cookyear-over-yeariPadThu, 22 Aug 2013 13:25:58 +0000J.R. Bookwalter17843 at http://www.maclife.comSmartphone Rivals Finally Start Chipping Away at Samsung, Apple Leadhttp://www.maclife.com/article/news/smartphone_rivals_finally_start_chipping_away_samsung_apple_lead
<!--paging_filter--><p><img src="/files/u220903/idc_q2_2013_smartphone_chart_620px.png" alt="IDC Q2 2013 smartphone chart" width="620" height="301" /></p><p>The smartphone shipment numbers are in for the second quarter, and while Samsung is blowing everyone out of the water, the market is beginning to fragment as rivals LG, Lenovo and ZTE finally gain some traction.<br /><br />The International Data Corporation (IDC) <a href="http://www.idc.com/getdoc.jsp?containerId=prUS24239313" target="_blank">released quarterly mobile phone shipment numbers on Thursday</a>, with 432.1 million devices shipped in the second quarter compared to 407.7 million in the same period a year ago.<br /><br />Of those numbers, 237.9 million units were smartphones, an increase from the 156.2 million shipped in Q2 2012 -- a 52.3 percent year-over-year increase, which the IDC claims is the "highest annual growth rate in five quarters."<br /><br />But that growth appears to be coming at the expense of smartphone giants Samsung and Apple, who are starting to feel the heat from smaller competitors.<br /><br />"Though Samsung and Apple are the dominant players, the market is as fragmented as ever," said Kevin Restivo, Senior Research Analyst with IDC's Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker. "There is ample opportunity for smartphone vendors with differentiated offerings."<br /><br />Samsung's Q2 2013 smartphone shipments accounted for 72.4 million, with Apple's iPhone accounting for 31.2 million. Nipping at their heels were both LG and Lenovo, who shipped 12.1 million and 11.3 million units respectively, a more than 100 percent year-over-year increase for both manufacturers.<br /><br />ZTE rounds out the top five with 10.1 million, leaving everyone else lumped into the "others" category with a combined 100.8 million units for 42.4 percent of the market.<br /><br /><em>Follow this article’s author, <a href="http://twitter.com/JRBTempe" target="_blank">J.R. Bookwalter on Twitter</a></em></p><p>&nbsp;</p>http://www.maclife.com/article/news/smartphone_rivals_finally_start_chipping_away_samsung_apple_lead#commentsNewsApple Inc.IDCiphoneLenovoLGMarket ShareQ2 2013quarterly resultsSamsungshipmentssmartphonesZTEiPhoneFri, 26 Jul 2013 11:58:44 +0000J.R. Bookwalter17637 at http://www.maclife.comIt's Official: Nokia Lumia Smartphones Now Outselling BlackBerryhttp://www.maclife.com/article/news/its_official_nokia_lumia_smartphones_now_outselling_blackberry
<!--paging_filter--><p><img src="/files/u220903/nokia_v_blackberry_q2_2013_chart_620px.png" alt="Nokia Lumia vs. BlackBerry sales" width="620" height="300" /></p><p>Okay, everyone — you can stop feeling sorry for Nokia and shift that empathy to BlackBerry now that the former's Lumia line of Windows Phone handsets have officially out-shipped the latter over the last three months.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.theverge.com/2013/7/18/4534266/nokia-lumia-vs-blackberry-sales-q2-2013" target="_blank">The Verge reported Thursday</a> that Nokia sold a record high number of Lumia smartphones in the second quarter of the year -- enough to actually edge past BlackBerry and put Windows Phone in third place.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.results.nokia.com/results/Nokia_results2013Q2e.pdf" target="_blank">Although its overall financials were mixed</a> (PDF link), Nokia managed to find homes for 7.4 million Lumia smartphones over the last three months. Microsoft recently boasted that Windows Phone had become the third-place smartphone platform, and the numbers seem to bear this out.</p><p>Only a year ago, BlackBerry was outselling Nokia's Windows Phone handsets by nearly two to one, but the Lumia line alone has now eclipsed all of BlackBerry's phone sales, smart or otherwise.</p><p><img src="/files/u220903/nokia_lumia_sales_chart_620px.png" alt="Nokia Lumia historical sales chart" width="620" height="300" /></p><p>Unfortunately, it's somewhat of a shallow victory: Overall, Nokia still lost $151 million for the last quarter, and North American sales of the Lumia line barely register when compared to the rest of the world (see chart above).<br /><br /><em>Follow this article’s author, <a href="http://twitter.com/JRBTempe" target="_blank">J.R. Bookwalter on Twitter<br /></a><br />(Images courtesy of The Verge)</em></p>http://www.maclife.com/article/news/its_official_nokia_lumia_smartphones_now_outselling_blackberry#commentsNewsblackberrycell phone industryLumiaMarket Sharenokianokia lumiaquarterly resultssmartphoneswindows phoneiPhoneThu, 18 Jul 2013 12:43:56 +0000J.R. Bookwalter17556 at http://www.maclife.comOvernight Recap: Apple + TWC, Ubisoft Hacked, aTV Flash 2.3 (black) Updatedhttp://www.maclife.com/article/news/overnight_recap_apple_twc_ubisoft_hacked_atv_flash_23_black_updated
<!--paging_filter--><p><img src="/files/u220903/apple_tv_main_menu_620px.jpg" alt="Apple TV main menu" width="620" height="300" /></p><p>Serious question: Do Apple TV owners really want to watch cable television shows on their little black boxes? Sure, it might be convenient to log into HBO Go and catch up on an episode you missed, but it's just as easy to set the DVR to record the darned thing in the first place. There's a lot of hoopla about this -- including our first item in today's recap -- but we confess, we don't get it. Let's see some more streaming services like Amazon Instant Video or VUDU before more TV apps, Apple!</p><h3>Apple Nearing Deal with Time Warner Cable for TV Shows</h3><p><a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-07-02/apple-said-to-near-time-warner-cable-deal-for-tv-programs.html" target="_blank">Bloomberg reported Tuesday</a> that Apple and Time Warner Cable appear to be close to inking a deal which would give the latter's cable subscribers access to television channels on Apple TV. According to sources close to the negotiations, an announcement could come "within a few months." To help ramp up its TV-content ambitions, Apple has also reportedly hired former Hulu marketing and distribution executive Pete Distad to "help Apple executives in negotiations with media and cable companies."</p><h3>Ubisoft Hacked: Time to Change Those Passwords, Folks</h3><p>Sure, it's been awhile since we've had to change passwords, but that free ride ended on Tuesday with <a href="http://blog.ubi.com/security-update-for-all-ubisoft-account-holders/" target="_blank">a security update from game publisher Ubisoft</a>. "We recently discovered that one of our Web sites was exploited to gain unauthorized access to some of our online systems," the blog post begins, adding that "data had been illegally accessed from our account database, including user names, email addresses and encrypted passwords." Thankfully the breach didn't include credit card information, but everyone with an Ubisoft account is encouraged to change their password… like, right now.</p><h3>Apple Q3 2013 Financial Results Scheduled for July 23</h3><p><a href="http://events.apple.com.edgesuite.net/13piojbefvijpijbafv07/event/index.html" target="_blank">Apple updated the Events page of its website this week</a> with the typically scant details on its quarterly financial results, which will go down on Tuesday, July 23rd at 2pm PST (5pm EST). As usual, the first Q3 2013 conference call will be streamed live via QuickTime to iOS devices as well as Mac or PC computers, simply by heading to the above link at the noted time and day.</p><h3>aTV Flash (black) 2.3 Adds Compatibility with Apple TV 5.3</h3><p><a href="http://blog.firecore.com/post/54443843304/atv-flash-black-2-3-now-available#.UdMdQRYXt20" target="_blank">FireCore LLC announced Tuesday</a> that its aTV Flash (black) software for the Apple TV has been updated to version 2.3. While the update adds compatibility with the latest Apple TV 5.3 software, there's still no untethered jailbreak available for that release, so it's not quite a total victory lap just yet. On the plus side, the update changes the Media Player app to "Infuse for Apple TV" in keeping with the developer's recent move to the iOS platform, and improves Dolby AC3 audio, metadata fetching, detection of subtitle encoding and the reliability of settings backups as well as a few new language localizations and bug fixes.</p><h3>OS X Security Update 2013-003 Now Available</h3><p><a href="http://www.macrumors.com/2013/07/02/apple-releases-security-update-2013-003-for-os-x-lion-and-mountain-lion/" target="_blank">MacRumors reported Tuesday</a> that Apple has pushed out Security Update 2013-003, which covers <a href="http://support.apple.com/kb/DL1670" target="_blank">Mac OS X Snow Leopard 10.6</a>, <a href="http://support.apple.com/kb/DL1661" target="_blank">OS X Lion </a>and <a href="http://support.apple.com/kb/DL1667" target="_blank">OS X Mountain Lion</a>. As usual, the update is "recommended for all users and improves the security of OS X," although in typical Apple fashion, the release notes are ever-so brief and lacking in further details. The update can be downloaded from the Mac App Store or by grabbing the desired installer from the links above.<br /><br /><em>Follow this article’s author, <a href="http://twitter.com/JRBTempe" target="_blank">J.R. Bookwalter on Twitter</a></em></p>http://www.maclife.com/article/news/overnight_recap_apple_twc_ubisoft_hacked_atv_flash_23_black_updated#commentsNewsApple Inc.Apple TVaTV Flash (black)overnight recapquarterly resultssecurity updatesTime Warner CableUbisoftMacWed, 03 Jul 2013 12:23:40 +0000J.R. Bookwalter17432 at http://www.maclife.comBlackBerry Posts Surprise Q1 Loss, Even with 6.8M Smartphones Shippedhttp://www.maclife.com/article/news/blackberry_posts_surprise_q1_loss_even_68m_smartphones_shipped
<!--paging_filter--><p><img src="/files/u220903/blackberry_10_shadowy_keynote_620px.png" alt="BlackBerry 10 event" width="620" height="300" /></p><p>After posting a surprise profit for the final fiscal quarter of last year, BlackBerry is jolting investors again -- but this time not in a good way, with an adjusted loss of $67 million for the quarter ending June 1.<br /><a href="http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/blackberry-reports-first-quarter-fiscal-2014-results-nasdaq-bbry-1806946.htm" target="_blank"><br />BlackBerry reported its fiscal first quarter results for 2014 on Friday</a>, and after a pleasant surprise profit in the previous quarter, things are again looking less cheery for the March, April and May period.<br /><br />While overall revenue was up 15 percent from the previous quarter to $3.1 billion and the all-important North American market grew by 30 percent, BlackBerry posted an adjusted loss of $67 million or 13 cents per share -- a far cry from the six cents per share profit most analysts were expecting.<br /><br />"During the first quarter, we continued to focus our efforts on the global roll out of the BlackBerry 10 platform," said Thorsten Heins, President and CEO of BlackBerry. "We are still in the early stages of this launch, but already, the BlackBerry 10 platform and BlackBerry Enterprise Service 10 are proving themselves to customers to be very secure, flexible and dynamic mobile computing solutions."<br /><br />Noting that "the smartphone market remains highly competitive, making it difficult to estimate units, revenue and levels of profitability," the quarterly report reveals that BlackBerry shipped 6.8 million smartphones, an increase of 13 percent from the previous quarter -- but curiously, the company doesn't break out how many of those units were actually the latest BlackBerry 10-powered handsets.<br /><br /><em>Follow this article’s author, <a href="http://twitter.com/JRBTempe" target="_blank">J.R. Bookwalter on Twitter</a></em></p><p><em>(Image courtesy of Fox Business)</em></p><p>&nbsp;</p>http://www.maclife.com/article/news/blackberry_posts_surprise_q1_loss_even_68m_smartphones_shipped#commentsNewsblackberryBlackBerry 10fiscal quarterquarterly lossquarterly resultsshipmentssmartphonesThorsten HeinsiPhoneFri, 28 Jun 2013 11:56:29 +0000J.R. Bookwalter17397 at http://www.maclife.comSo It Begins: Verizon, Nokia Post First Quarter 2012 Earningshttp://www.maclife.com/article/news/so_it_begins_verizon_nokia_post_first_quarter_2012_earnings
<!--paging_filter--><p><img src="/files/u220903/verizon_iphone_stands_tall_200px.jpg" alt="Verizone iPhone" width="200" height="150" class="graphic-right" />The middle of April is behind us, which means corporations will begin posting quarterly earnings for the first three months of 2013. First out of the gate: Verizon, who's off to a great start, and Nokia, who still isn't out of the woods quite yet.<br /><br /><a href="http://www22.verizon.com/investor/app_resources/htmls/news_verizon_posts_strong_earnings_growth_in_1q_2013_04182013.htm" target="_blank">Verizon announced its Q1 2013 earnings on Thursday</a> with a $4.8 billion profit and the addition of 677,000 wireless subscribers -- a dip from the 2.1 million subscribers added in the previous quarter, but a big profit jump from the $1.9 billion net loss in Q4.<br /><br />Big Red moved 7.2 million smartphones during the first quarter, and not surprisingly, 5.9 million of those were LTE-capable handsets. The company now boasts 491 markets across the United States, with 4G LTE service available to 287 million people.<br /><br />While the company's official press release didn't break out iPhone numbers, Verizon CFO Fran Shammo told investors during a conference call that Apple's handset made up four million of the 7.2 million smartphones the carrier sold last quarter, with roughly half of those being of the LTE-ready iPhone 5 variety. The remaining 3.2 million were likely Android-based handsets with a smattering of BlackBerry 10 and Windows Phone thrown in for good measure.<br /><br />Speaking of Windows Phone, <a href="http://www.results.nokia.com/results/Nokia_results2013Q1e.pdf" target="_blank">Nokia also posted Q1 2013 financials</a> (PDF link), which saw the company move another 5.6 million Lumia handsets, a jump from 4.4 million in the previous quarter. Unfortunately, only 400,000 of those handsets landed on American shores, a dip from 700,000 in Q4.<br /><br />All in all, Nokia posted an operating loss of roughly $196 million on $7.65 billion revenue for Q1 2013 -- the bleeding hasn't quite stopped yet, but the onetime cell phone champ is holding its own against Apple and Google.<br /><br /><em>Follow this article’s author, <a href="http://twitter.com/JRBTempe" target="_blank">J.R. Bookwalter on Twitter</a></em></p><p>&nbsp;</p>http://www.maclife.com/article/news/so_it_begins_verizon_nokia_post_first_quarter_2012_earnings#commentsNews4G LTEiphone 5LumianokiaQ1 2013quarterly lossquarterly resultsrevenueSubscribersverizonVerizon WirelessiPhoneThu, 18 Apr 2013 13:14:15 +0000J.R. Bookwalter16760 at http://www.maclife.comT-Mobile Announces First Subscriber Growth in Nearly 4 Yearshttp://www.maclife.com/article/news/tmobile_announces_first_subscriber_growth_nearly_4_years
<!--paging_filter--><p><img src="/files/u220903/t-mobile_logo_200px.png" alt="T-Mobile logo" width="200" height="150" class="graphic-right" />It's been four long years since T-Mobile has seen subscriber growth in the United States, but the fourth-place carrier is finally getting a little good news now that the first quarter of 2013 is behind it.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.tmonews.com/2013/04/t-mobile-finally-turns-the-tide-as-preliminary-first-quarter-financials-show-subscriber-growth/" target="_blank">TMoNews reported Thursday</a> that everyone's favorite magenta carrier will have some good news to report when it announces quarterly earnings on May 8, as more than half a million new customers have joined T-Mobile's ranks over the last three months.<br /><br /><a href="http://newsroom.t-mobile.com/articles/t-mobile-q1-progress" target="_blank">In a press release</a> offering a preliminary look at its subscriber numbers, T-Mobile USA reveals that it added 579,000 customers during Q1 2013, bringing their grand total to 34 million -- the first time the carrier has shown positive growth in almost four years.<br /><br />The less good news is that only 3,000 of those subscribers were of the more lucrative contract type, with the remaining 576,000 arriving by way of T-Mobile MVNO or other unbranded offerings. However, that's still a major coup for the carrier after bleeding 349,000 branded customers in Q4 2012.<br /><br />“These results display positive momentum and the first positive branded growth in four years,” said John Legere, President &amp; CEO of T-Mobile USA. “We have made material progress in stabilizing our branded business in Q1, which provides a solid foundation to build on with the new Un-carrier customer offers we launched last week across America. I believe the best is yet to come!”<br /><br />Following T-Mobile's March 26 event announcing the iPhone and its new "UNcarrier" plans, all eyes will be on the carrier next quarter to see if those initiatives will start producing further results.<br /><br /><em>Follow this article’s author, <a href="http://twitter.com/JRBTempe" target="_blank">J.R. Bookwalter on Twitter</a></em></p>http://www.maclife.com/article/news/tmobile_announces_first_subscriber_growth_nearly_4_years#commentsNewscellular carriersearningsgood newsiphone 5MVNOQ1 2013quarterly resultsSubscribersT-MobileUNcarrieriPhoneThu, 04 Apr 2013 13:23:13 +0000J.R. Bookwalter16646 at http://www.maclife.comBlackBerry Founder Mike Lazaridis Retiring on May 1http://www.maclife.com/article/news/blackberry_founder_mike_lazaridis_retiring_may_1
<!--paging_filter--><p><img src="/files/u220903/mike_lazaridis_200px.png" alt="Research in Motion founder Mike Lazaridis" width="200" height="150" class="graphic-right" />It's only been fifteen months since Research in Motion founder Mike Lazaridis stepped down as co-CEO of the troubled company, but the smartphone pioneer will soon be retiring from the board of directors as well.<br /><a href="http://allthingsd.com/20130328/mike-lazaridis-leaves-blackberry/" target="_blank"><br />AllThingsD reported Thursday</a> that BlackBerry co-founder and current Vice-Chairman/Director Mike Lazaridis has announced his retirement from the company he founded in 1984, eventually paving the way for a smartphone revolution.<br /><br />The announcement came during <a href="http://allthingsd.com/20130328/blackberry-posts-surprise-quarterly-profit-sells-1-million-z10s/" target="_blank">the company's Q4 2013 earnings call this morning</a>, which found BlackBerry posting a profit for the second quarter in a row, with six million handsets and 370,000 PlayBook tablets shipping during the three months.<br /><br />Among the six million smartphones, the company claims roughly a million of those are BlackBerry 10 devices, a healthy start for fledgling mobile OS. Lazaridis confirms that his retirement has been timed to correspond with the BlackBerry 10 launch.<br /><br />“I believe I have fulfilled my commitment to the Board,” Lazaridis remarked. “Thorsten and his team did an excellent job in completing BlackBerry 10. We have a great deal of which to be proud. I believe I am leaving the company in good hands. I remain a huge fan of BlackBerry and, of course, wish the company and its people well.”<br /><br />Likewise, current BlackBerry CEO Thorsten Heins had equal praise for his former boss during Thursday morning's earnings call.<br /><br />“Mike revolutionized the mobile communications industry and is widely recognized as one of Canada’s greatest innovators,” Heins said. "I deeply respect his desire to devote his full-time efforts to his new venture."<br /><br />After May 1, Lazaridis will put all of his attention into Quantum Valley Investment, a group that helps find commercial applications for quantum information science.<br /><br /><em>Follow this article’s author, <a href="http://twitter.com/JRBTempe" target="_blank">J.R. Bookwalter on Twitter</a></em></p><p>&nbsp;</p>http://www.maclife.com/article/news/blackberry_founder_mike_lazaridis_retiring_may_1#commentsNewsblackberryBlackBerry 10CEOMike Lazaridisquarterly resultsResearch in MotionretirementThorsten HeinsiPadiPhoneThu, 28 Mar 2013 13:45:43 +0000J.R. Bookwalter16599 at http://www.maclife.comIs Your iPad a Computer? If So, Apple Owns 20 Percent of the PC Markethttp://www.maclife.com/article/news/your_ipad_computer_if_so_apple_owns_20_percent_pc_market
<!--paging_filter--><p><img src="/files/u220903/ipad_mini_pf_pb_ps_wht_ios6_print_200px.png" alt="iPad mini" width="200" height="151" class="graphic-right" />The debut of Microsoft's Surface with Windows 8 Pro this week continues to fuel the debate over what should be considered a "tablet" and what should be a "computer," with at least one research firm combining the two.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.canalys.com/newsroom/one-six-pcs-shipped-q4-2012-was-ipad" target="_blank">Canalys reported the results of its Q4 2012 PC shipments on Wednesday</a>, and the numbers look quite good for Apple with a healthy 27 million units shipped and more than 20 percent market share for the first time ever.<br /><br />No, you didn't miss any significant Mac sales in Apple's fiscal Q1 2013 earnings -- Canalys is lumping the company's iPad in with more traditional personal computers, which makes one tablet for every six PCs shipped during the last three months of 2012.<br /><br />Unfortunately, the research firm's peers may not be quite ready to lump tablets in with personal computers, even though it's clear that many people are starting to buy iPads and other slates with the intention of replacing a traditional PC.<br /><br />"Apple timed the launch of the iPad mini well," said Pin-Chen Tang, Canalys Research Analyst. "Its success proves there is a clear demand for pads with smaller screens at a more affordable price. Without the launch, Apple would surely have lost more ground to its competitors."<br /><br />While that opinion may be debatable, there's no denying that the iPad mini helped propel Apple's 2012 holiday season, eclipsing other PC makers such as HP and Lenovo with 11 percent of the market, Samsung with nine percent and newly private Dell, who shipped only 9.7 million units, a 19 percent decline from the same period in 2011.<br /><br /><em>Follow this article’s author, <a href="http://twitter.com/JRBTempe" target="_blank">J.R. Bookwalter on Twitter</a></em></p><p>&nbsp;</p>http://www.maclife.com/article/news/your_ipad_computer_if_so_apple_owns_20_percent_pc_market#commentsNewsCanalysDellHPiPad MiniLenovopersonal computersQ4 2012quarterly resultsresearchersSamsungshipmentsiPadMacThu, 07 Feb 2013 14:47:14 +0000J.R. Bookwalter16179 at http://www.maclife.comSprint Finds Homes for 2.2 Million iPhones in Q4 2012, Loses Money Anywayhttp://www.maclife.com/article/news/sprint_finds_homes_22_million_iphones_q4_2012_loses_money_anyway
<!--paging_filter--><p><img src="/files/u220903/sprint_logo_200px.png" alt="Sprint logo" width="200" height="150" class="graphic-right" />It appears third-placed U.S. carrier Sprint will be the last one out the door responsible for turning the lights off when it comes to quarterly earnings reports for the end of 2012, and they're reporting a loss on top of it.<br /><br /><a href="http://newsroom.sprint.com/article_display.cfm?article_id=2510&amp;view_id=8204" target="_blank">Sprint Nextel has announced its fourth quarter 2012 results</a>, and just for good measure -- and likely to help hide the not-so-good news for the last three months of the year -- has tossed in results for the entire year as well.<br /><br />First the good news: The company had its best quarter ever for iPhone sales, with "approximately" 2.2 million sold. 38 percent of those were new to the carrier, who combined moved more than 6.6 million of Apple's iconic handset last year.<br /><br />Sprint is also rocking smartphones in general, which made up 89 percent of its quarterly postpaid handset sales. CEO Dan Hesse specifically cited the Samsung Galaxy S III as the company's "top seller" for the quarter.<br /><br />The carrier is also tooting its horn about its burgeoning 4G LTE service, which has thus far been launched in 58 cities, with nearly 170 more expected in the months ahead.<br /><br />Ultimately, there's no getting around the bad news: Sprint nearly doubled its Q3 2012 net loss of $767 million with a Q4 loss of $1.32 billion, the bulk of which is attributed to shuttering the older Nextel network while at the same time building out its new Network Vision.<br /><br />With an annual operating loss of $1.8 billion for 2012, Sprint still has a way to go before they can shake the slump they're in, but one thing's for sure: It's better to have the iPhone than it is to not have it.<br /><br /><em>Follow this article’s author, <a href="http://twitter.com/JRBTempe" target="_blank">J.R. Bookwalter on Twitter</a></em></p><p>&nbsp;</p>http://www.maclife.com/article/news/sprint_finds_homes_22_million_iphones_q4_2012_loses_money_anyway#commentsNews4G LTEcarrierscell phone industryCEODan HessefinancialsQ4 2012quarterly resultsSamsung Galaxy S IIISprintiPhoneThu, 07 Feb 2013 13:57:34 +0000J.R. Bookwalter16177 at http://www.maclife.comiPad mini Available to Ship Times Finally Improve in Apple Online Storehttp://www.maclife.com/article/news/ipad_mini_available_ship_times_finally_improve_apple_online_store
<!--paging_filter--><p><img src="/files/u220903/ipad_mini_pf_pb_ps_wht_ios6_print_200px.png" alt="iPad mini white" width="200" height="151" class="graphic-right" />The holiday crush is over and the calendar has turned to February, so it's only natural that Apple might finally get a chance to play catch-up with shipping times for its iPad mini tablet at last.<br /><br /><a href="http://appleinsider.com/articles/13/02/03/ipad-mini-ship-times-improve-to-1-3-days-in-us-online-apple-store" target="_blank">AppleInsider is reporting</a> that Apple's supply of the diminutive iPad mini has finally caught up with demand, with "available to ship" times for all configurations <a href="http://store.apple.com/us/buy/home/shop_ipad/family/ipad_mini" target="_blank">now showing one to three business day</a>s for the first time since preorders kicked off in late October.<br /><br />In January, ship times were holding firm at three to five days, which was already an improvement over the one week estimate during the December holiday rush.<br /><br />As noted by CEO Tim Cook during the company's recent quarterly earnings conference call, Apple has had trouble catching up to overwhelming demand for the iPad mini, which sold three million units in its first weekend of availability.<br /><br />While Cook noted that things should get back to normal by the end of March, the U.S. Apple Online Store seems to indicate things may have gotten caught up even sooner than that, with all models in both colors available to ship in one to three days at this writing.<br /><br /><em>Follow this article’s author, <a href="http://twitter.com/JRBTempe" target="_blank">J.R. Bookwalter on Twitter</a></em></p><p>&nbsp;</p>http://www.maclife.com/article/news/ipad_mini_available_ship_times_finally_improve_apple_online_store#commentsNewsApple Online Storeavailable to shipiPad Miniquarterly resultsshippingsupply & demandsupply constraintsTim CookiPadMon, 04 Feb 2013 14:34:52 +0000J.R. Bookwalter16148 at http://www.maclife.comAmazon Q4 2012 Sales Up 22 Percent to $21.27 Billion, But Profit Still Downhttp://www.maclife.com/article/news/amazon_q4_2012_sales_22_percent_2127_billion_profit_still_down
<!--paging_filter--><p><img src="http://www.maclife.com/files/u220903/amazon_on_black_200px.jpg" alt="Amazon logo" width="200" height="150" class="graphic-right" />Riddle us this: E-tail giant Amazon barely makes a profit in Q4 2012, yet their stock sees a gain of 10 percent, while Apple makes a huge profit during the same quarter and gets punished by its stockholders.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20130129006591/en/Amazon.com-Announces-Fourth-Quarter-Sales-22-21.27" target="_blank">Amazon announced its quarterly earnings</a> for the all-important 2012 holiday season, and as usual, it's a mix of good news and bad news.<br /><br />On the good news front, Amazon's Q4 2012 sales were up 22 percent to an impressive $21.27 billion, but the internet goliath barely managed to retain any of that income with a net of only $97 million.<br /><br />“We’re now seeing the transition we’ve been expecting,” said Jeff Bezos, founder and CEO of Amazon.com. “After 5 years, eBooks is a multi-billion dollar category for us and growing fast 00 up approximately 70 percent last year.<br /><br />"In contrast, our physical book sales experienced the lowest December growth rate in our 17 years as a book seller, up just 5 percent," Bezos added. "We're excited and very grateful to our customers for their response to Kindle and our ever expanding ecosystem and selection.”<br /><br /><a href="http://techcrunch.com/2013/01/29/wtf-amazon-barely-ekes-out-profit-on-21b-in-sales-hits-negative-pe-misses-estimates-guidance-yet-stock-jumps-10/" target="_blank">As noted by TechCrunch</a>, the news was met with apparent glee by stockholders, who sent Amazon's market price up 10 percent after hours, despite failing to live up to analysts' expectations of how much profit they should be making.<br /><br />We're guessing Apple isn't feeling too bad, though -- all of that excess cash and hefty profits probably help executives in Cupertino sleep pretty well at night, despite violent fluctuations in their stock price.<br /><br /><em>Follow this article’s author, <a href="http://twitter.com/JRBTempe" target="_blank">J.R. Bookwalter on Twitter</a></em></p><p>&nbsp;</p>http://www.maclife.com/article/news/amazon_q4_2012_sales_22_percent_2127_billion_profit_still_down#commentsNewsAmazonApple Inc.e-tailerkindlemarket growthprofitsQ4 2012quarterly resultsStock PricesstockholdersWed, 30 Jan 2013 14:55:08 +0000J.R. Bookwalter16110 at http://www.maclife.comNokia Finally Shows a Profit in Q4 2012 Thanks to Cutbacks, Lumia Handsetshttp://www.maclife.com/article/news/nokia_finally_shows_profit_q4_2012_thanks_cutbacks_lumia_handsets
<!--paging_filter--><p><img src="/files/u220903/nokia_sign_on_office_200px.png" alt="Nokia" width="200" height="150" class="graphic-right" />The news is not completely a surprise considering the company teased about it a couple weeks ago, but Nokia at long last had a profitable quarter by the end of 2012, despite a $3 billion loss for the year.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.engadget.com/2013/01/24/nokia-q4-2012/" target="_blank">Engadget is reporting</a> that Nokia finally has something to cheer about, with a <a href="http://www.results.nokia.com/results/Nokia_results2012Q4e.pdf" target="_blank">$585.7 million profit</a> (PDF link) in the last three months of 2012. Including the rocky quarters that preceded it, Nokia still wound up with a loss of $3 billion for the entire year, but the onetime cell phone giant seems to finally be on the right track with Windows Phone.<br /><br />“We are very encouraged that our team’s execution against our business strategy has started to translate into financial results," Nokia CEO Stephen Elop commented. "Most notably we are pleased that Nokia Group reached underlying operating profitability in the fourth quarter and for the full year 2012.<br /><br />"While the first half of 2012 was difficult for Nokia Group, in Q4 2012 we strengthened our financial position, improved our underlying operating margin in Devices &amp; Services, introduced the HERE brand to expand our mapping and location experiences, and drove record profitability in Nokia Siemens Networks," Elop added.<br /><br />Nokia reconfirmed that 4.4 million Windows Phone-powered Lumia smartphones were sold during Q4, although Americans are still not convinced: Lumia sales only increased from 300,000 to 700,000, which pales in comparison to the iPhone and Android.<br /><br />Speaking of Symbian, <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2013/01/24/nokia-808-pureview-the-last-symbian-phone/" target="_blank">Nokia confirmed</a> that its 808 PureView smartphone is indeed the last of its kind from the company, despite 2.2 million total Symbian handsets helping to contributing to the company's bottom line.<br /><br /><em>Follow this article’s author, <a href="http://twitter.com/JRBTempe" target="_blank">J.R. Bookwalter on Twitter</a></em></p><p>&nbsp;</p>http://www.maclife.com/article/news/nokia_finally_shows_profit_q4_2012_thanks_cutbacks_lumia_handsets#commentsNewsCEOHERE MapsLumiaLumia 920nokiaprofitsPureViewquarterly resultssmartphonesStephen ElopsymbianThu, 24 Jan 2013 14:21:30 +0000J.R. Bookwalter16063 at http://www.maclife.comApple Launching iPhone 5 LTE with 36 New Carriers Next Weekhttp://www.maclife.com/article/news/apple_launching_iphone_5_lte_36_new_carriers_next_week
<!--paging_filter--><p><img src="/files/u220903/iphone_5_34hi_stagger_frontback_black_print_200px.png" alt="iPhone 5" width="200" height="150" class="graphic-right" />Among the facts and figures of Wednesday's quarterly earnings report, Apple CEO Tim Cook dropped the news that the LTE-enabled iPhone 5 would be heading to 36 new carriers next week.<br /><br /><a href="http://appleinsider.com/articles/13/01/23/apple-announces-global-iphone-5-4g-lte-expansion-with-36-new-carriers" target="_blank">AppleInsider is reporting</a> that Apple will debut the 4G LTE-equipped iPhone 5 with 36 new carriers around the world next week, a significant expansion into countries where the super-fast data speeds are not currently available.<br /><br />"Today we have 24 carriers around the world that provide LTE support for iPhone 5. Those are in countries like the US, Korea, the UK, Germany, Canada, Japan, Australia and a few others," Cook said. "Next week, we're adding 36 more carriers for LTE support. These carriers will be in countries that we are not currently supporting LTE."<br /><br />Among the countries noted are Italy, Denmark, Finland, Switzerland, the Philippines and "several Middle Eastern countries," which collectively serve more than 300 potential incremental subscribers.<br /><br />AppleInsider notes that such expansion is just over 10 percent larger than Verizon Wireless, currently the world's largest LTE carrier with 257 million subscribers. <br /><br />"We feel really good about the situation we are in, particularly with these adds next week," Cook concluded.<br /><br />The rapid expansion is particularly impressive considering that it was less than a year ago that Apple added LTE to its product mix with the third-generation iPad, followed by the iPhone 5 last September.<br /><br /><em>Follow this article’s author, <a href="http://twitter.com/JRBTempe" target="_blank">J.R. Bookwalter on Twitter</a></em></p><p>&nbsp;</p>http://www.maclife.com/article/news/apple_launching_iphone_5_lte_36_new_carriers_next_week#commentsNews4G LTEexpansioninternationaliphone 5Q1 2013quarterly resultsSubscribersTim CookVerizon WirelessiPadiPhoneThu, 24 Jan 2013 13:46:39 +0000J.R. Bookwalter16061 at http://www.maclife.com